Daily Archives: October 8, 2010

I love when I manage to get a weekly menu hammered out that matches up with exactly what I brought home from market:

Roasted Cauliflower ala Juliet: my sister’s knockout treatment is simple and so delicious you’ll wish you’d bought two of those enormous heads! Cut the cauliflower into medium florets, drizzle with olive oil and salt, arrange heads-up in an oven-proof pan, pour on a generous amount of heavy cream, sprinkle with feta cheese, kalamatas and/or capers, lay a small anchovy fillet on each floret, grind on black pepper and a dusting of cayenne if your roommates aren’t wimps about heat. Roast for 20 minutes at 425, sprinkle with chopped parsley. I served it with freshly cranked roast pumpkin pasta.

Roast Pumpkin Pasta: if you’re not cranking your own pasta already, come find me at market and I’ll give you a pep-talk on how awesomely stupidly easy and fun it is. I roasted one of Quaker Valley Orchard’s pie pumpkins for a super yummy pie, but stole a glop of it to throw in my pasta dough (usually 3 c flour + 4 eggs, some salt and olive oil, but reduce the eggs to account for the pumpkin’s wetness…or leave out the eggs altogether and use water, it doesn’t seem to make a difference).

I can’t believe I made Gumbo! With okra, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, andouille sausage, chicken and the chicken stock I made from the chicken all from our market. Next round, I would sub celeriac (aka celery root) for celery, which Truck Patch Farms will have next week along with the other cool weather crops, and I found garlic at the Brookland Farmers’ Market which runs on Tuesdays from 4-7 next to the Metro.

Speaking of cool weather crops, Roasted Broccoli will change your whole worldview on the vegetable: toss in olive oil and salt, roast for 20 minutes at 425, toss with lemon zest and a little lemon juice. I left out the parmesan cheese and it was still amazing and vegan friendly.

Events at market:Dahlia’s Nutrition Counseling: Neighbor and integrative health student Dahlia Shaaban will be on the bandstand answering questions and giving tours of the market with health and medicinal insight into the seasonal offerings! Dahlia is the founder of BellySatva, a holistic health practice that combines holistic nutrition counseling, yoga, and Thai yoga therapy to create paths that are indulgent, inspired, and intuitive.

We have a wonderful couple of sets of that Market sound, starting with country folk love from Lauren Knapp followed by rousing Irish music with Jacob and Friends!

Farmers’ Market Bike Clinic: Tent, tools, pump, stand, and helpful neighbors who drag themselves out of bed at some ungodly MtP hour (like 10) to help you get your steed back in sweet running order. Prior to volunteers showing up, feel free to use the equipment there and ask around for help, even I can get you started on an inner tube repair.

Warm and Fuzzies: Knit and crochet clinic to get you into a Fall project or help you through a weird spot or show you a new pattern! Check ’em out on FaceBook at http://www.facebook.com/warmandfuzzies.

Local Foods:Pleasant Pops: Sweet Corn & Cream, Watermelon Mint and Apple Cinnamon. We have a gorgeous weekend in store, and I’m thrilled with their creative use of local ingredients!